The Goodman School of Business has its first-ever full-time dean, and he won’t need any help finding his way to the office.

Don Cyr has been interim Dean of Business at Brock for 16 months, and has now accepted an appointment as Dean of the Goodman School. The five-year appointment takes effect on July 1, and until then he will remain as interim dean.

Cyr was named interim Dean of Business in January 2012, and remained at the helm last October when the faculty was renamed the Goodman School of Business to honour the family of University Chancellor Ned Goodman, which gave a major gift to the school.

Cyr said he’s honoured to be inaugural Dean of the Goodman School, whose educational opportunities promote the success of businesses and not-for-profit organizations across the Niagara region.

“The Goodman School of Business is not just on the move, it has arrived,” said Cyr. It is one of the top 10 business schools in Canada with the largest number of co-op and service learning opportunities for business students in Canada. With close to 100 faculty members and more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students, it is a full range business school.

“Going forward, with the transformational gift provided by Mr. Goodman and family, we will build on our strengths of providing high quality, student-focused, innovative business education opportunities. A new facility in which to house our growing operations is a critical element of this strategy.”

The appointment was announced by Provost and Vice-President Academic Murray Knuttila, who said Cyr provides crucial leadership “to Brock, our students and our communities.”

“This is an important time in the Goodman School’s development,” said Knuttila. “Don has an established record of community-relevant and academically sound research and scholarship. He will be an excellent role model for the school.”

University President Jack Lightstone praised Cyr’s “wisdom, experience and commitment.”

“I am confident that under his leadership the School will advance and innovate in teaching, research and its impact on the economic development of the communities around us and beyond,” said Lightstone.

The school’s namesake also expressed his pleasure, with Chancellor Goodman saying, “I am thrilled that Don Cyr has accepted the position as Dean of the Goodman school of Business.”

Cyr came to Brock in 1995 as an associate professor of finance, teaching courses in corporate finance, international finance and investments. He also served as chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance in 2001 and the Faculty’s Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research from 2002 to 2009. He holds a Master of Business Administration (University of Saskatchewan), a master’s degree in Economics (University of Alberta) and a PhD in Finance (University of Alberta).

Throughout his career, he has received numerous teaching awards, authored many research articles in the area of finance, as well as several professional training programs for the investment industry.